EAGER: Nurturing Women's Innovativeness and Strength in Engineering through experiential learning in biomedical engineering (WISE)

University Of The District Of Columbia, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) proposes a transformative project titled "Nurturing Women's Innovativeness and Strength in Engineering through Experiential Learning in Biomedical Engineering" (WISE), the goal of which is to creatively recruit and retain minority pre-college and undergraduate females in Biomedical Engineering (BME). Meaningful engineering education research efforts that attempt to study best practices relating to the recruitment and retention of minority females in engineering need to be located in environments that demonstrate strong enrollment of a critical mass of these individuals in engineering. The fact that UDC is one of only two HBCUs nationally that offer accredited degrees in BME clearly makes the institution a strong candidate for study. The main elements of the project are premised on two pivotal facts: 1) the relative success of BME in attracting females to the engineering discipline and 2) the pre-eminent role played by HBCUs nationally in producing the majority of the nation's minority female engineers. The project features three major components. The first component WEAVE - Young Women Exposed Actively to the Value of Engineering - will provide engineering exposure via hands-on experimentation with special BME lab kits. The second component REACH - Research in Engineering to Achieve a more Confident Her - will impact female minority UDC undergraduate students' confidence in engineering via research problems in human health within UDC's Center for Biomechanical & Rehabilitation Engineering. The third component AMAZE - Accomplished female Minorities Add Zeal to Engineering - will counteract engineering stereotypes, and reduce feelings of isolation through mentor success stories and guest speaker activities. Additionally, the three-pronged WISE project will generate valuable knowledge about attitudinal effects of engineering activities and exposure to female engineering role-models on female minority youth interest, confidence and persistence in STEM.